The Heart of a Traitor
by wyredsisters
Summary: In October of 1981, Peter Pettigrew betrayed his friends to the Dark Lord. He turned his back on life time allgiences to be a minion to You-Know-Who. Does anyone ever wonder why? LilyJames becuase they won't even put Peter on the list of characters.
1. Acquaintances

A/N:  I was reading a friend of mine's story.  In it, she had a comment about how the Marauders all had a brotherly bond..."minus Peter," as she put it.  I argued with her about this, saying that they had to have liked Peter at one point.  She said, they wouldn't have a bond because no one would betray they're brother like that.  This got me frustrated, because she wasn't getting my point.  I said, angrily, "I'm gonna write a Peter fic to show you what he's thinking!"  Here it is!

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  No, really.  Seriously, none of this is mine.  I know you all think so, but I really didn't make it up Harry Potter.  I swear!

Chapter 1

"Ow!'"  I fell forward onto the cobblestone walk way in front of the Hogwarts Express.  I looked over my shoulder at the person who had just pushed me.  He was taller then I was, had dark hair cut short, and grinned smirked at me as he offered me a hand.

"Sorry, mate."  The boy quickly apologized.  "I tripped myself.  Didn't mean to bump into you there.  I'm Sirius Black."

I took his hand and he helped me up.  "Peter Pettigrew," I mumbled brushing some dust off of my clothes.

"Can I call you Petey?" he asked, a impish tone in his voice.

"No," I said.  I hated that name.  I grabbed my bags and began to walk towards the train.  Sirius followed me.

"So, is this your first year here too?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I wonder what house I'm going to be put in.  Do you have any idea where you're going?" he said, very quickly.

"I'm not sure.  I don't think I fit in with any of the qualities."

"I'll probably be in Slytherin.  Most of my family was, after all.  Can't wait.  Green looks very flattering on me."  Sirius let out a sharp and sudden laugh.  I smiled along, but I was actually more worried about where I was going to be put.  I wasn't particularly smart.  I really wasn't too ambitious.  I always seemed to be changing my mind a lot, never loyal to one idea or another.  And I was afraid.  Always afraid.

"So, you're a Pettigrew.  I think I remember seeing that name on my family tree.  Do you know if you are related to the House of Black?"

"I can't remember it being mentioned to me."  I loaded my trunk and then settled into a compartment, Sirius talking to me all the way.

"Did you know that you're the first pureblood I've talked too since I got here?  I can't believe how many muggle-borns go here!" he was exclaiming, when the door opened and two boys walked in.  One was tall and had sandy colored hair.  His amber eyes looked as if he was hiding something.  The other was even taller.  His black hair was somewhat mussed, and his hazel eyes seemed to be filled with excitement.

"Hey.  Is anyone sitting here?" said the tallest one.

I was about to say no, when Sirius spoke.  "Depends.  What are your names?"

"I'm Remus Lupin," the sandy-haired boy said.  "And this is James... What's your last name again?"

"Potter," James stated clearly.

Sirius looked as if he was seriously considering telling them to find a different compartment.  But, he eventually said, "You can sit."

"Glad we have your permission," James mumbled taking a seat.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to let anyone sit with me.  I don't want to be sitting with any muggleborns," Sirius said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Do you have a problem with muggleborns?" James suddenly sounded very defensive.

"Yes," Sirius stated.  "They're pains.  They shouldn't be going to school with us.  We're not on the same level."

"So, what are your names?" Remus cut in, obviously trying to change the subject.  Though, these days, the muggleborn argument could not easily be ignored.

"I'm Sirius Black, from the House of Black.  This is Petey Pettigrew."

"It's Peter," I insisted, but no one said anything because right then the door opened and the most beautiful creature I had ever seen came through.  Her grace seemed to make her looks as if she was floating.  Her unusually-colored eyes were so expressive I felt as if I could see into her very soul.

"Hi, I'm Lily Evans," said the girl standing next to this goddess.  Lily's red hair and green eyes were nothing compared to this girl's icy looks.  Her eyes were a cold blue and her hair was shone like a silvery sheath around her face.

"Evans?" Sirius smirked.

"Yes.  I was wondering if we could sit with you."

"No," Sirius said immediately.  "But thanks for asking."

"Don't be rude," James snapped, standing to his feet.  "I'm James Potter.  Nice to meet you, Lily."

Lily rolled her eyes.  "Come on, Narcissa.  Let's go."

"Narcissa!" Sirius called.  "Don't leave.  I need to talk to you."

"I'll meet you later, Lily," said Narcissa.  Her voice rung as a bell might.

Lily turned on her heel and left.  Sirius stood up.  "What are you doing?  You know your parents wouldn't approve of this."

"What?"  She looked genuinely confused.

"She's a mudblood, Narcissa.  Didn't you ask for her name?"

"No.  I forgot."  Her voice showed no fear.  "I'll be more careful next time, Sirius."  She smiled a smile that I would do anything to see again.

"Remus.  Let's go.  This place reeks of discrimination," James said suddenly, standing up.  He hurried out of the compartment.  Remus looked at us a moment before following him.  Narcissa left later, to find some others to talk to.  She apparently didn't want to hang out with a bunch of guys. 

Thus, my time at Hogwarts was just beginning, but it never got any better then it was right now.

A/N: Got you there.  You all thought he loved Lily for a second, didn't you.  Nope.  Gotcha!  Okay, next chapter will come out soon.


	2. The Sorting

A/N: Hello all three reviewers!  We love you all!  Enjoy this new chapter.  The sorting is included.

Disclaimer:  We own this idea of Peter.  Not many other people come up with Peter like this.  Oh!  And our original character.  A... very familiar original character.

Chapter 2

I stood next to Sirius in the line for the sorting.  I had been told by my parents about it, yet I still wasn't too sure what would happen.

"Black, Narcissa," called the strict looking woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonigal.  The beautiful girl walked up to the stool confidently.  When the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW," she just strode over the appropriate table.  

"Black, Sirius,"  Sirius winked at me as he sauntered up to the stool where the hat sat.  (A/N: Hat sat!)

For a few moments, it seemed as if the hat was choosing.  Sirius sat, shaking his head until the hat cried out "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius walked slowly to one of the tables.  When he sat down, I say that his face was completely miserable.

Lily Evens was the next person I knew who was sorted.  She was put into Hufflepuff, which is something that I never would have seen coming.

Then Lupin was placed into Gryffindor.  Then came me.  

The hat was placed on my head and I heard a small voice in my ear.  "A Pettigrew, eh?  Well, I've had a couple of you.  Most of them have been pretty obvious sorts, but not you.  You fit into all houses."

"What," I muttered.  I was sure that I didn't fit into any house.

"Any house!  Don't be ridiculous.  You're hardworking, aren't you?  You may not be the best, but you are your best.  You think outside the box, which is a good asset for Ravenclaw.  You also know how to get what you want; just like a Slytherin...

"But I shouldn't be hypothesizing over these right now.  I should be asking you were you want to go."

I looked at Sirius sitting at the Gryffindor table.  His shoulders were drooped and he was staring straight ahead.  "I want to go to Gryffindor," I found myself saying.

"Really?  Should have known.  But... I'm not sure I should do this.  I guess it's not my choice to make.  And the decision will lead to a greater good.  Alright, if you want Gryffindor... you got GRYFFINDOR!"

I walked stunned to the table, not sure what to think about the Sorting Hat.  I sat next to Sirius, both of us staring forward for the rest of the sorting.

The food came.  It smelled so good, I had to serve myself.  I poured a glass of pumpkin juice and then dug into some mashed potatoes with gravy.  Savoring the flavor, I turned to Sirius to see what he was doing.  What I saw, was the most pitiful sight I had ever seen.

His forehead was resting on the palms of his hands.  His eyes were staring at his empty plate, deep thoughts passing through them.  And, as I watched, a tear slowly slid down his cheek.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked him, curious of his reaction.

"My parents are going to kill me," he muttered.

"Why?"

"All my family has been in Slytherin.  Or Ravenclaw, but those weren't my direct descendents.  They expected me to be as ambitious and cunning and clever and smart as they were.  But no.  I'm Gryffindor.  Born to be brave and stupid."  Sirius raised my goblet and took a large gulp.

"We're not stupid," said a girl with flaming red hair who was sitting across from us.  She looked older.  And very defensive.

"Who are you?" I asked, as Sirius was to depressed to care.

"Molly Sicson.  Seventh year.  And we're not stupid."

"I'd like some proof of that, please," Sirius said, taking another swig of pumpkin juice like it was whiskey.

"Who was it that thought up the sorting hat?"

Sirius remained quiet for a while, staring at his empty plate.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I tried to pay as much attention as possible on the way to the Gryffindor Tower, but people kept talking to me.

James Potter started it all.  He and a tall boy with brown hair came up to me.  "Your name's Petey, right?" James asked.

"Peter," I corrected.

"Right.  So, since we're going to be sharing a room together for the next seven years, I thought I'd make sure that you didn't hate me."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that.  So, I said, "No."

"Good.  So you don't hate all muggleborns?"

"No," I said again.

"Good.  In that case, this is Jerry.  Jerry Pritchard.  (A/N: Yes!  We do reuse names!  Get over it!)  "He's a muggleborn."

"Oh."  I quickly glanced back to see where Sirius was.  I didn't want him thinking badly of me.  He was trailing at the end of the First Year Gryffindors, his head still drooped.  "Maybe...maybe you shouldn't tell Sirius that," I said in a quiet voice.

"Why?"  James suddenly looked suspicious.

"He might...cause conflict."

"Hey, I don't want to start any fights," Jerry said.

"No.  Good idea, Petey.  We'll do that."

"It's Peter," I grumbled.

"I'm sure."  James and Jerry then went ahead to talk to Remus.

A/N:  Who liked it?  How many people are actually reading this story.  Flames welcome because we'd like something fun to laugh at these days.  School isn't funny.


	3. Changes

A/N:  Sorry it took us so long.  We had it written, just not on the computer.  But the next chapter is pretty good.  We see less of Prejudiced!Sirius.

Disclaimer:  We own Peter's unique personality and past that no one else cares to write about.  We also own Jeremy Pritchard, our favorite original character.

Chapter 3

The next few weeks passed without incident.  Unless you count a couple of squabbles and Remus getting sick.  Sirius bought Jerry's story and didn't question it once.  Surprising, because he was so quick to recognize Evans at one.  But, if you ask me, I think he's been slacking a bit since he got sorted.  

Actually, him and Jerry were pretty close.  They're beds were next to each other, they ate with each other, the sat next to each other in most classes.  The only time they were apart is when Jerry was talking to James.  That was the only thing they were separated.

Remus on the other hand was really good at ignoring the whole "Muggleborn Issue" and stayed friends with both of them.  And me.

One day, however, we found the issue facing us to quickly.  It was after Charms.  Sirius had to stay back to talk about why he decided to levitate all the girls chairs.

A tall blond boy came over to us as we were waiting for Sirius.  James was remaining as well, but under protest.  He didn't want to go to lunch by himself, however.  The tall boy grabbed Jerry's shoulders, and without a word, slammed him into the wall.

"Mudblood," he growled.  Now, this guy was muscular.  Really big.  Getting in his way would not be a good idea.  Really, no.  But James tried anyways.

"Leave him alone!" he shouted, attempting to pull one of his very thick arms off poor Jerry.

The older boy let out a snort.  "First Year."  He raised the arm that James was tugging on and in one smooth movement, sent James flying into a wall.  Remus ran to make sure he was okay.  I don't think he was because Remus paled.

The boy turned back to Jerry.  "What did you think?  You could come into this world without a thought.  Think again."

"You're hurting him!" I screeched, watching Jerry grimace under the pressure of his hands. 

"Good," said the boy, before pummeling Jerry in the face.

"Hey!" Sirius shouted as he exited the classroom.

"Sirius!" said the older boy, pausing for a moment to grin at Sirius.  It seemed as if they were old friends.

"Lucius?"

"Yeah!  Come help me teach this mudblood a lesson."  He indicated to Jerry with a nod of the head.

Everything seemed like it was in slow motion.  I saw Sirius's jaw drop and his face go from shock to anger to confusion.  I saw, more than heard, Remus yell that they needed to get James to the hospital wing.  I saw tears of pain well up in Jerry's eyes but none spilled over.

"A mudblood?" Sirius said staring at the floor.

"You didn't know?  He shook his head.

It seemed that Remus came to his senses, realized that he had a wand, and took advantage of the fact the Lucius was preoccupied.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_"  he shouted causing Lucius to rise into the air.

"Hey," he yelled as Jerry got down and ran, and the other three of us ran forward to help James.  It shocked me that Sirius was there too.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing," Remus said looking down at the unconscious James.

Sirius pulled out his wand.  "_Wingardium Leviousa!_" he yelled and James floated.  Lucius managed to grab his wand and break the spell before falling in a heap on the ground.

"RUN!" Remus yelled, grabbing James's hand and bolting down an empty hallway.  I was about to follow, when I noticed Sirius was running the other way.  In a quick decision, I decided to follow him, not wanting Malfoy to catch him all alone.

When I finally caught up with him, he was curled in a corner, his face resting against his knees.  I could tell he was crying.

"Sirius?" I asked for no particular reason.  I knew it was him.

"He wasn't stupid," Sirius muttered, still crying.  "He was okay.

"Yeah, he was," I said, lamely.  I wasn't used to seeing Sirius crying.

"He was okay," he said, still weeping.

"He still is," I said, which sounded a lot more comforting then "Yeah, he was."

An black owl came swooping towards us then.  On its leg, it carried a bright red envelope, which contrasted with its dark feathers.

I knew what that letter was.  And so did Sirius.  That's why he got more upset when the owl dropped it into his lap.  

Without a word, he slowly opened the Howler.  "SIRIUS AMBROSE BLACK!  HOW COULD YOU?  HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?  WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?  IF IT WERE UP TO ME, I'D TAKE YOU OUT OF THAT SCHOOL THIS INSTANT, YOU GRYFFINDOR!  BUT YOUR FATHER INSISTS THAT YOU STAY!  BE WARNED, THAT IF I HERE YOU HAVING CONTACT WITH ANY OF THOSE FILTHY MUDBLOODS, WE **WILL** DISOWN YOU!" a woman's voice screeched.  It sounded as if it had all been said in one breath.  

"Wow," I said at the end.  

"Petey, meet my mom," he joked, a trace of his old disposition coming back into his voice.

"It's Peter," I corrected.  "And aren't you upset?  She threatened to disown you."

"She always threatens to disown me.  Why do you think I was so careful about mudbl-...muggleborns?" he asked.

"Because you didn't like them?" I suggested, suddenly feeling as if everything I thought about Sirius was wrong.

"Well...yes.  But my mother was a factor as well.  Aren't you hungry?"

"Yes, but I believe that this takes precedence."

"Not to me.  I want lunch."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jerry didn't stay at Hogwarts.  He went home the next day, partly because of injuries and partly because his parents didn't want to endanger him.  I'd meet him again, but under entirely different circumstances.

Lucius Malfoy stayed.  He spent many mealtimes glaring at us.  Not all of course; no older student would spend so much attention on a First Year.

So we lost a friend and gained an enemy.  But back then, we weren't keeping track.

A/N:  Yes, it was great.  Anyone feeling sorry for Peter yet?  If not, you will.  We promise.  REVIEW, PLEASE!


	4. Rain

A/N: Okay, bit pointless, but we're just putting things in perspective.  The plot will pick up, we promise!

Disclaimer:  All we own is Grace Silver and Ruth Kelley.  Anyone (besides Molly) who can tell us where we got the first names gets a cookie!

Chapter 4

Rain descended upon Hogwarts one cold Saturday in November, drenching the grounds and making it almost impossible to go outside.  The mud would seep up to your knees, which had caused mass chaos with the third year girls who thought it would be fun to dance out there.

But inside the First Year boy's dorm, it wasn't rainy or cold.  It was warm and cozy looking as we sat around a fire.

"This is so boring," James said, turning away from the orange light to stare hopefully out the window.  "I wish it would stop raining."

"Rain, rain," Sirius started in a playful voice.  "Go away.  Come again another day.  Little Jamesie wants to play... with Lily Evans," he finished.

James threw a pillow at his head and it whizzed by my ear.  "And Sirius wants to play with Molly Sicson," James retorted, picking a random name out of his head.

"Actually, she's going out with Arthur Weasley, so that might create some problems," Remus commented, not looking up from the book he was reading.  "And it's not safe to throw pillows near fires.  You almost hit Peter."

"Know it all worry wart," James muttered.

"She's old!" Sirius exclaimed, seeming to have just come out of shock.  "I'd much rather play with Ruth Kelly," Sirius said without a hint of shame.  "It's better than Remus and his mad passion for Severus Snape."

James made a gagging noise and Remus glared at Sirius over his book.  "Thank you, but he's a bit to greasy for my tastes," Remus said, then began to read again.  "Besides, Grace Silver is much more attractive," he added quietly.

James and Sirius laughed, just because it was the thing to do.  Sirius trailed off and looked at me, sitting quietly in front of the fire.  "What about you, Petey?"

"Hmm?" I said, trying to avoid the question.  It was really none of his business.

"Who do you want to be playing with?" Sirius said, making his voice create the meaning perfectly well.

"Oh, well..." I trailed off.

"Come on.  Tell us!" James said, throwing himself on the bed to get a better look at me.

"Okay... It's..." I stopped again.  I never actually realized how hard this would be.  "Narcissa," I said quickly.

"Narcissa who?" asked James.

"Ew!  You fancy my cousin!"

I blushed and focused back on the fire.

"That blond girl?" James asked.  "How is she related to you?  You look so different, what with the hair and all."

Sirius shrugged.  "Weird genes I guess.  Doesn't matter.  All that matters is that little Petey here fancies her."

"Shut up," I said weakly.  "At least she knows how to do a levitation charm, unlike Ruth Kelley," I commented, surprising myself.

James laughed.  "He got you there, Sirius.  And the amazing thing is, he's got a point."

Sirius rolled his eyes.  "Petey, don't be jealous just because I actually have a chance with her and Narcissa doesn't know your alive."

That hurt.  I shifted my gaze to look at my feet instead.  It hurt because I knew he was right.  I knew that no one as beautiful as she would ever see me.

I was wrong.  Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't been.

A/N: Who's enjoying this so far?  Raise your hands!   Wait, I can't see you.  You'll just have to review instead.  Go!


	5. Such a Drag

A/N: Hi gets a cookie!  Hi rules!  Go Hi!  Bet you all wish you looked at our bio like Hi did, but you didn't so now you are hungry cuz you don't have a cookie.  Ha!

Moving on...  Nope, nothing to move to.  Sorry.  On to the disclaimer!

Disclaimer:  This isn't ours.  This J.K.'s ideas and characters which we just justify.  I read a story that had a similar idea to ours, which sucks, cuz we thought of it on our own.  So if you think our eventual plot is similar to a very well known author, we didn't copy!

Chapter 5

"I'm bored," James complained as all four of us lounged at the shore of the lake.  

"You're always bored," I said, trying to make a joke.

James rolled his eyes at me.  "At least I'm not always boring.  Come on!  Let's do something!"  He looked just like a little kid, bouncing in his seat.

"You could start your potions essay," Remus suggested, not looking up as he was writing his potions essay.  "You know, the one that's due tomorrow."

"Petey's not the only boring one in the group, apparently," Sirius said,  bringing all attention to him.  "You all want to play the game with the Whomping Willow?"

I had decided to stop complaining as much about the horrible nickname they had given me, seeing as how I spent the first year of school doing this and nothing had come out of it.

"No," said Remus quickly.  "It's a stupid game.  You know how badly you could get hurt if you get hit by one of those branches?"

"We'll be fine.  The game's fantastic.  I'm in, Sirius," James said, hopping to his feet.

"Great.  Hey, you coming Petey?" Sirius asked, also standing.  "It'll be fun."  He sounded like he was talking to a little kid.

I looked at the tree, it's branches flailing about in all directions.  The game's objective was to attempt to touch the trunk of the tree.  Why Dumbledore had decided that Hogwarts needed such a violent tree, I doubted I would ever know.  

"No," I said, apprehensively.  "No, I think I'll go for a walk."

"Chicken," James called over his shoulder as he made his way over to the tree.

"See you, Petey," Sirius said, following his friend.

I got up and began the walk I said I would take around the lake.  This was about a mile, so I figured that they would be finished with their game by then.

"Hey, maybe you two should play on the other side of the tree," I could hear Remus suggesting behind me.

He's a strange person, always picking out the strangest things for us to change.  For example, he won't use the silver dishes in the Great Hall, complaining that we could all get food poisoning.  Another thing, Remus seems to know when he's going to get sick.  He never makes plans on the days when he does have to spend nights in the hospital wing.  I think he's faking it.

What gets me is why Dumbledore goes along with all of his crap.

I was about a quarter of the way around the lake when I heard them:  footsteps behind me.  Hoping that Sirius had decided to join me after all, I turned to face the person behind me.

It wasn't Sirius.

It wasn't even a person.

It was three people, all older and larger than me.  And the one in the center was Lucius Malfoy.

"Hello, First Year," he said casually, as if he wasn't stalking me with a handful of bullies.

Well, I did the smartest thing I could think of.  I raised my chin defiantly and said, "I'm a second year."

"Oh, I see," Malfoy said, in a clearly mocking tone.  "A second year.  Well, this changes everything."  He paused and more a moment I thought I might be off the hook.  I realize now that I was stupid.  "No, it doesn't.  Goyle, Nott?  Would you be so kind?"

The two largest students walked toward me, looking extremely threatening.  I tried to run, but two other boys had apparently come up behind me.  They each grabbed one of my arms, pinning them behind me, as either Nott or Goyle walked up to me and punched my squarely in the stomach.

When you think about it, you don't expect to feel that much pain after getting hit there.  You think it would be much worse to be hit in your face or your groin.  Well, I wasn't hit there, but let me tell you, getting hit in the stomach is no picnic either.

My knees buckled and suddenly my legs couldn't hold me up anymore.  I was trying my best not to cry, seeing as I was twelve years old.

Lucius Malfoy sauntered forwards.  "You think you could do that to me and get away from it.  All five of you!  But no, it's come back to haunt you.  And your going to suffer a thousand times more."

Yes, this was the perfect time to say something witty to show my Gryffindor spirit, but I couldn't think of anything.  Luckily, I wasn't alone.

"Did you really bring five guys to beat up one kid?" I heard Sirius say, his tone caustic.

Malfoy spun around, his blonde hair spreading out as he did, to face Sirius.  Well, I think he was since I couldn't actually see where Sirius was standing, but Malfoy seemingly could.

"Black," Malfoy hissed.

"Malfoy," Sirius said, sounding quite a lot calmer than Malfoy.  "Is there anyway to make you let him go without a fight?"

Malfoy smirked, and, with a tiny nod in the direction of his goons, sent Goyle and Nott lumbering towards Sirius.  Malfoy stepped out of the way to reveal that it was not only Sirius, but also Remus who had come to my rescue.

I watched in awe as Goyle tackled Sirius, and had him pinned to the ground in an instant.  Remus on the other hand, awed me more.

As the other large boy approached him, Remus placed one hand on Nott's chest and sent him hurtling towards the lake.  Remus then hurried over to me and somehow pulled the other two off of me, before rushing over to help Sirius.

Well, Malfoy was not to be beat this easily.  He pulled out his wand, but before he could utter a curse, all three of us were running away.

Not exactly the bravest thing to do, but helpful anyways.  We were no match for Malfoy's knowledge of magic back then.

We reached the Whomping Willow tree and, even though it wasn't particularly different from anywhere else, we felt safer.  James, who had been sprawled out on the grass, sat up.  "Did you rescue Petey?"

Sirius, still out of breath, smiled.  "Yeah.  He's such a hassle," he said.  "Do you want to keep playing?" he asked James, and the two of them went to play the Whomping Willow game.

Remus opened his book, but I wouldn't let him read.

"Hey, Remus?" I said timidly.

He made a grunting noise, trying not to look up from his book.

"How did you throw that guy into the lake?  It was about ten feet and he was a lot bigger than you and-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Peter," he said, though I knew perfectly well that he did.  But he wouldn't answer my questions, leaving me to wonder.

A/N: Wasn't it good?  Yes it was.  Now tell us.  


	6. Animagi

A/N: We're jumping around a bit again.  This one's in third year.  We will get to a steady time thing eventually, but it won't be that steady.  All these things take place over time.  Well, here's our chapter.  Oh and for anyone wondering, a blue moon is when two full moons appear in the same month.

Disclaimer:  No, it's not ours.  Did you have to remind us?  My god!

Chapter 6

I slammed the book closed.  The thought of saying, "Eureka," passed through my head, but I dismissed it.  I was about to put the book back on the shelf when I had a second thought.  I opened the book again and flipped through to the page I was at before.

I reread quickly, going over all the information.  I made a mental checklist, but eventually didn't bother.  It all added up.

A werewolf.  Of course.  Obvious, really.  Yet, here in my third year I had just figured it out.  Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

I slammed the book closed again and placed it back on the shelf.  I rushed to the door, and sprinted down the hallway to the dorm room.

I had figured it out.  Me.  Peter Pettigrew.  The dumb one, the slow one, the one who didn't quite fit in.  And now, I was the most impressive of all of them.

I threw open the door to the room and found Remus, Sirius, and James sprawled out around the room.  Remus was sitting on the floor, doing his homework.  James was lying on his bed, doodling in his notebook and Sirius was staring at the ceiling from his bed.

"Hey, Petey," Sirius said when I entered.  "What's going on?"

This was the exact opening I needed.  "I have something I really need to discuss with Remus."

Remus looked up, not seeming a bit apprehensive.  "Yes?" he said, his voice calm.  He could pretend all he wanted, but I knew.

"It's about you're being sick," I clarified.  I saw his expression falter a bit.  "You're gone about three days or so, 'bout once a month," I said, trying to sound objective when all I really wanted to do was jump around like a little kid.

"Yeah," Remus said, sounding a bit nervous though.

"Except it's not 'about' at all, is it?  You are gone exactly three days each month.  Well, once in a blue moon, you are out twice in a month," I said, stressing the words "blue moon."

Remus, to my surprise, laughed.  "Blue moon!  Now that is a pun."  He sobered a bit.  "Okay, you know then, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," I said happily.

"You want to tell them?" Remus asked.

"I do indeed."

"Be my guest," Remus said, though he was looking a bit off color.  All of this time, James and Sirius had been following our conversation, neither of them really getting it.

"You see," I told them now.  "Remus has been continually absent on these specific days because he is..." I paused for dramatic effect.  "A werewolf."

There.  It was out.  James and Sirius looked at Remus, their eyes wide.  "That is so cool," Sirius said slowly.  "Well, okay it's a bit dangerous, but cool none the less."

"A werewolf," James said.  "But all this time..."

"I'm sorry," Remus said.  "I'm sorry, but I had to lie to you.  I wasn't allowed to say anything.  And I want you to know that I never put you in any danger."  His voice didn't quiver.  It was if he had known he would say this eventually and was planning for it.

"But the real question is," Sirius said the familiar impish tone in his voice, "what are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Remus, looking at Sirius quizzically.

"Well, now that we know what you've been doing every month, we can't just let you do it alone.  I mean, it's not a particularly pleasant experience, is it?" Sirius asked.  Remus shook his head so he continued.  "We should try to find a way to spend those nights with Remus."

"How?" asked James, running a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit more.  "We would have to be immune to getting bit and turning into ones ourselves, as well as strong enough to keep him from tearing us to pieces.  No offense, of course," he added when he realized how ruthless he made Remus sound.

"Animals," I said, the text I had read earlier popping back into my head.  "Animals won't turn into a werewolf if they're bitten."

In turn, all of our eyes met each others.  The word, though not spoken, passed throughout our brains.

"Could you do it?" Remus asked.  "I mean, it's very difficult to become..."

"James and I could manage," Sirius said.  "We could help Petey with it.  No offense, mate, but you're not too great at transfiguration."

"Yeah," I agreed absently, suddenly hit with what we were going to do.

"Animangi," James whispered.  "I always wanted to be one."

"What did you want to be?" Remus asked.

"A stag," James answered.  "I always wanted to be able to run like that."

"Now you can," said Sirius.  "Now we can all be whatever we want to be.  A stag is perfect.  You could fend off a werewolf if you needed to.  I think I'd like to be a dog," he finished, trailing off.

James laughed.  "A dog!  You look like a dog."

"Shut up, will you?" he snapped back.  "It's my name.  Sirius was a dog in... some mythology... shut up," Sirius looked a bit flustered.  "What about you, Petey?  What do you want to be?"

Any animal at all.  My brain searched for what I needed.  Something that was me, something that showed me for who I really was.  Of course!  Of course, it was so simple.  "A lion," I decided.

I'd be the strongest of them all, I realized.  The fastest, the most important.  For the first time in my life, I might make some difference.

"Good idea," Sirius said, clapping me on the back.  "Keep up the house spirit."

"So, that's it then," Remus said.  "You're going to do it."

"Yeah," James said.  "We are going to do this."

"We'll start training soon.  James and I can go into the Restricted Section tonight with his invisibility cloak and get some books on the subject.  We'll train at midnight."  Sirius smiled, his eyes crinkling.  "This is going to be brilliant.  We'll have a lion and a stag and a dog-"

"Wait," Remus said.  "I forgot.  We need... well, we're going to need a small animal."

My heart sank.  "Why?" I asked.

Remus looked flustered.  "You know the Whomping Willow tree?  Well, there's this passage way under it, going to the Shrieking Shack.  That's where I usually am.  Anyways, we're going to need someone small go press this knot to open the door."

We were silent.  James looked at Sirius, who looked at me, who looked at James, who looked back at me.

"I'll do it," I said.  Far be it from me to mess with their own reams.  I'll take one for the team.  "I'll do it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's how it happened.  I became excepted into the group, fully, completely.  But, I wasn't.  I was the rat.  The one who would be lost if left alone in the like so of a werewolf.  I couldn't be left alone.

A/N:  Bad?  Good?  Could we have done that better?  Anyone feeling bad for Peter yet?


End file.
